No rest for a laid-off Mr. Mom cowboy journalist

My first week of freedom has left me wondering how I ever had time for a part-time newspaper editing job.

Monday was a trip to Pueblo for supplies and equipment, including a new Kodak ESP 3 scanner-printer-copier.

By Tuesday I was getting e-mails regarding my word-manufacturing business.

“Any progress on that write-up for the pamphlet?”

“Where are we with the book?”

And then there was the matter of a calf that needed to be delivered to a buyer, and a cow that needed to be treated by the vet for something called “lumpjaw,” which is an abscess in the jaw bone.

So I’ve been busier than I wanted to be.

Thursday I was Mr. Mom Cowboy Journalist. I got my son Harrison ready for his day and delivered him to daycare/preschool. Then it was back to the ranch where I rounded up the cattle, and with the help of neighbor and artist Lorie Merfeld Batson, sorted and loaded the calf and cow.

That afternoon I hauled the calf to the folks we sold her to, dropped off the cow at the vet, drove back to the preschool to pick up my son. Quite often, after school the kids like to play on the playground and so we did the playground thing. Then it was back to the vet to fetch the cow, and on home to unload and unhitch the trailer.

Back at the house, it was time to make dinner.

After all that I was up until 10:30 writing copy for the aforementioned pamphlet.

So much for being laid off.

An Amish buggy driver traveling on Colfax Lane south of Westcliffe. Road crews have recently put up signs to warn motorists of the slower moving vehicles on area roads.